NFK Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Alexander Scharrer, Head of Capital Markets at NEAR Foundation, to delve into the real investment case for NEAR and the AI x Crypto era.

In this episode, Tomáš Vaic, Business Development Manager at Trezor, joins us to talk about why self-custody is no longer optional, from collapsing exchanges and geopolitical risk to the hardware wallet of 2030.

In this conversation, Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer at Valour, breaks down how regulated Exchange Traded Products are reshaping institutional access to digital assets and the future of tokenized sovereign debt.

In this episode, Alireza Siadat, Lead Blockchain & DLT at Deloitte Legal Germany, shares his perspective on MiCA 2.0, outlines the rationale behind a sandbox approach, distinguishes between different DeFi models, and explains how global policy dynamics are reshaping the future of crypto in Europe and beyond.

In this episode, Tony Drummond, Founder of Tokenomics.net, explains how token supply, emissions, liquidity incentives, governance structures, and treasury strategies shape the long-term survival of decentralized projects.

Not all stablecoins are created equal. Some look stable until the system is tested.In this episode, Benjamin Levit, Co-Founder and CEO of Bluechip, breaks down how stablecoins are evaluated using the SMIDGE framework and why redemption design, reserve quality, and governance structures matter more than most people think.

Whales rotating, institutions recalibrating, and DeFi infrastructure maturing.What does it take to become the institutional partner of choice in 2026?In this episode, Hannes Detlefsen, Chef at Steakhouse Financial, breaks down the internal philosophy behind Steakhouse, how vault structures are designed, and what it takes to build institutional-grade DeFi infrastructure.

Whales selling, stablecoin yields rising, and geopolitics heating up. What does it mean for Bitcoin in 2026?In this episode, James Butterfill, Head of Research at CoinShares, breaks down macro blind spots in crypto, institutional flows, stablecoin yields, whale behaviour, regulation, and the key economic forces that could shape Bitcoin and broader digital asset markets into 2026.

DeFi talks about decentralisation but who is actually in charge when governance, upgrades, and liquidity collide? In this episode, TokenBrice, Board Member and DeFi Connoisseur at DefiScan, cuts through DeFi’s prevailing narratives to expose the structural mechanisms that concentrate power and the façade of decentralisation that often conceals them.

Europe talks about digital sovereignty but is it structurally prepared for the technological future? In this episode, Kambis Kohansal Vajargah, a Deputy Head of Founder-Services at Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, offers an unfiltered perspective on country's innovation trajectory, institutional crypto adoption, AI-driven disruption, and what founders must understand to remain sovereign in the next decade.

Decentralized infrastructure is full of illusions and some sectors can’t avoid it. Energy is one of them and it will force a rethink of trust, data, and ownership at machine scale.In this episode of the NFK Podcast, we sit down with Jürgen Eckel, CEO of Riddle&Code and a leading voice in protocol architecture, DePIN, and the energy markets.

Brussels is no longer watching crypto from the sidelines. It’s actively engineering its future, from MiCA and DeFi to CBDCs, privacy, and tokenised finance.In this episode, I sat down with Marina Markezic, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the European Crypto Initiative, to discuss how EU regulation is shaping crypto, finance, and digital rights.

The next global financial standard already exists. Here’s how insiders see it.In this episode, we sit down with Chiara Munaretto, Managing Partner at Stablecoin Insider, to explore why stablecoins remain widely underestimated.

From founder mistakes to stablecoins in cross-border payments, scaling Web3 companies is far more complex than it looks. To explore that, I sat down with Elbruz Yilmaz, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Outrun, a strategic advisory and venture studio focused on payments, fintech, and blockchain infrastructure.

Ethereum doesn’t have a CEO, a central roadmap, or a traditional product team. Yet, it continues to evolve at global scale.James Smith, Head of Ecosystem Development at Ethereum Foundation, shares how the Foundation thinks, coordinates, and removes.

Managing taxes correctly is what defines the success of any regulated crypto venture in 2025-2026.Johannes Edlbacher, Partner, Financial Services Tax at PwC Austria, shared his unique perspective on the recent developments in the field.

The future of crypto depends on how well it integrates with traditional finance.To explore this transition, I spoke with Bernhard Wenger, Head of Northern Europe at 21Shares, to discuss ETPs and the future of crypto in Europe.

Stablecoins are becoming a matter of monetary strategy for Europe. In this episode, Vid Hribar, driving blockchain strategy and R&D at Raiffeisen Bank International, shares the details behind the European Stablecoin Initiative.

Crypto crime rarely looks like it does in the headlines. Most of it hides in patterns, data trails, and small inconsistencies that only surface when you know exactly where to look.In this episode, Karl Zettl, Co-Founder and CEO of Iknaio Cryptoasset Analytics, shares how blockchain forensics actually works in practice.

The worlds of stablecoins, RWAs, and institutional blockchain adoption are converging faster than most people realize. Ryan Zega, Head of Structured Finance at Aptos Labs, breaks down how Aptos Labs is architecting the future that makes real-world value programmable, traceable, and usable on-chain.

Tokenisation is transforming what can be traded, who can access it, and how financial systems operate behind the scenes.In this interview, Tibor Mérey, Managing Director & Partner, Global Leader for Frontier Tech at BCG, walks us through the shifts he’s seeing as tokenised assets move into institutional strategy.

Blockchain is evolving far beyond finance — into governance, social impact, public infrastructure, and emerging technologies.In this episode, Mariana de la Roche Wills, a Founder of BlackVogel Consulting) breaks down where blockchain is creating real-world value today.

The 2025 market drawdown exposed weak infrastructure, stressed market makers, and put every major crypto asset under real-world pressure. Igor Hadziahmetovic, Investment Director and Portofolio Manager at Venionaire Capital, breaks down what failed, what held up, and why Bitcoin’s behavior in this crisis may redefine its role in global markets.Date: November, 2025.

Yves Holenstein, Director and Head of Custody & Staking at Bitcoin Suisse, walks us through the maturation of staking into an asset class.

How are EU banks really thinking about stablecoins? Vid Hribar, Member of Blockchain Hub at Raiffeisen Bank International AG, shares what’s happening behind the scenes.

In this episode, I sit down with Ben from BNBChain’s GTM & Ecosystem Growth team to unpack the current state of the ecosystem and what builders need to know right now.

From Bitcoin’s energy demands to AI’s hidden weaknesses and Quantum risks, the future of digital finance is far messier (and more exciting) than most think.To explore these dynamics, I spoke with Patrick Fodor, co-founder of marbl., a company powering energy traders with actionable market signals and intelligent position optimisation.

I sat down with Andrew Forson, TEP, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer at Valour, to explore key developments in digital assets, the biggest hurdles ahead, and his vision for the next 10 years of DeFi Tech.

I spoke with Alexandra Lloyd LL.M., Risk & Compliance Manager, Head of AML at YouHodler, about why DORA matters, what its implementation could trigger, and how the industry should prepare.

Together with Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal), we explore MiCA, highlight the misconceptions, draw parallels, and look ahead to the conversations already forming around future European regulation.

In this episode, we sit down with Jim Dorra, General Manager of Tractial, to break down the rising trend of BTC treasuries and how companies are approaching digital-asset balance-sheet strategies.

Ted Paulus, CFA, breaks down how Bitcoin mining could supercharge grid stability, renewables, and the economics of Europe’s power sector.

Thomas Jeegers, CFO & COO at Relai, the Swiss-based, Bitcoin-only savings app, explains why Europe stands on the edge of a historic shift, and how Bitcoin fits into the struggle between compliance, privacy, and open financial rails.

I spoke with Alexander Neumüller, Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), about his research journey, key discoveries, and what’s next for the crypto industry.

I sat down with Simon Seiter, Managing Director and CFO/CPO at AllUnity, to discuss their mission to build Europe’s leading stablecoin and the broader implications for digital money.

In this interview, Oliver Stauber, CEO of KuCoin EU, shares his perspective on the opportunities, pressing challenges, and trends shaping the world of digital assets.

I spoke with Georg Harer, Managing Director & Head of Legal and Compliance at Bybit EU, who shared unique insights into their strategic roadmap and European expansion.

I spoke with Mazurka Zeng, Managing Director and CEO of Bybit Europe, who shared exclusive insights into their latest product.

Igor Hadziahmetovic, Investment Director and Web3 Tech Lead at Venionaire Capital, unpacks stablecoin power plays, exposes the flaws in altcoin models, and expertly breaks down Bitcoin’s shifting role in traditional markets.

What if backing a founder wasn’t just about belief but real, structured support from seed to scale?Astrid Woolard and Alexander Lenz, General Partners at SMAPE Capital, join us to pull back the curtain on how crypto funds actually work.

Horst Treiblmaier, Full Professor at Modul University Vienna, joins us to explore what happens when blockchain, AI, and even robotics intersect. One of the top social science researchers in Austria, he’s been studying blockchain since 2015 and now focuses on how these technologies are shaping real-world change.

He’s not just following the rules but helping shape them. Dr. Balázs Czencz, a Compliance Officer at Bitpanda Payments, brings an insider view on how MiCA and DORA are reshaping the crypto industry and how compliance is being used as a strategic advantage.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe for more real-world conversations about innovative tech.

He went from military intelligence to chasing down cybercriminals across the blockchain. In our very first episode, we sit down with Albert Quehenberger, founder of AQ Forensics and board member of DLT Austria, to explore the high-stakes world of crypto investigations.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe for more real-world conversations about innovative tech.